Wheeled plow.



PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

0. S. RUEP. WHEELED PLOW.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT.8, 1897.

2 SHBETSSHBBT 1.

PATBNTED Nov. 28, 1905.

C. S. RUBF. WHEELED PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED same. 1897.

Z SHEETSSHEET 2.

SW 0/? (0"[68 (/5572 41 W .the machine.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WHEELED PLOW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Names, 1905.

Application filed September 8, 1897. Serial No. 650,898.

T0 to whom, it ntayconcern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. RUEF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dixon, in the county of Lee, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheeled Plows, of whichthe following is a description, reference being had to the accompan ying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improved means for holding the colter of the plow in position, as hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my complete plow; Fig. 2, a detail bottom plan view of the colter and its supporting devices; Fig. 3, a top plan view of the frame and plow-beam and its supports, and Fig. 4 a longitudinal vertical section at the left of the plow-beam in Fig. 3.

The same characters of reference are used to indicate identical parts in the several views.

The frame K of the machine is shown as formed of bar-iron bent into suitable shape and supported upon a land-wheel and front and rear furrow-wheels, as usual. The plowbeam L is supported near its front end upon a bail J, mounted at its lower ends in bearings secured to the frame K. Near the rear end of its upper horizontal portion the plowbeam L has secured to it a cross-piece 1, whose oppositely-projecting ends constitute trunnions and are provided with antifriction-rollers 3, fitting in upwardly and rearwardly inclined slots 4 in bracket-arms or plates 2, secured at their lower forward ends to the frame K. A lever J, fulcrumed at its lower end upon the frame K and provided with a detent cooperating with a sector K, is connected with the bail J and serves when the lever is thrown rearward and downward to swingthe bail J upward and rearward and lift the plow-beam to the position shown in Fig. 1. At such upward movement of the plow-beam the rollers 8 upon the opposite ends of the cross-piece 1 will travel upwardly in the inclined slots 4:, and thus lift the rear end of the plow-beam as its front end is lifted by the bail J and maintain it in proper relation to the frame of The slots 4 are provided at their upper ends with rearward horizontal extensions, Fig. 4, in which the rollers 3 may rest and support the plow-beam after the latonly serves to elevate the rear end of the plowbeam as its front end is lifted by the bail J and to guide it in its upward and downward movement, but also serves to brace it against lateral or torsional strains and rigidly hold it in true position, accomplishing this result much more efficiently than where the end of the plow-beam is supported upon a second bail similar to the front bail J, as is frequently the case.

The side bars of the frame K are connected near their front ends by a cross-bar M, to whose upper side are secured the rear ends of the clevis-plates N, said clevis-plates being also bolted to the front cross-bar of the frame K, as shown. The clevis-plates N have upturned rear ends 0, adapted to receive between them the front end of the plow-beam IL when the latter is lowered to working position, as in Figs. 3 and 4, and the plow-beam has a bolt P passed through its front end and provided with rollers R upon opposite sides of the beam, which rollers are adapted to rest in curved seats formed for them in the upper edges of the rear end of the clevis-plates N, as shown in Fig. 4;. The draft appliances are attached to the clevis-plates N, and consequently the draft is exerted directly upon the frame of the machine; but when the plowbeam is locked down in working position, as in Fig. 4, and the machine is drawn forward by the team the rollers R upon the front end of the plow-beam will bear against theforward edges of the upturned rear ends O of the clevis-plates, so that the draft will be transmitted from the front end of the frame directly to the plow-beam through this connection of the plow-beam with the clevisplates, instead of being transmitted to the plow-beam through the bail J and the rear connection of the beam with the frame. WVhen the plow is at work, therefore, the draft is transmitted to the plow-beam almost as directly as if the draft appliances were hitched directly to the beam instead of to the frame, and the objectionable strains occurring where the draft is transmitted from the frame to the beam through the supports of the beam upon the frame are eliminated. At the same time by employing a frame-hitchinstead of a dito the plow through the medium of the frame rect beam-hitch the draft appliances are en- I tirely disconnected from the plow-beam except when the latter is at work, so that the plow-beam is relieved of the weight and encumbrance of such appliances which are necessarily present in the case of a direct beamhitch.

I am aware that it is common in frameploWs of one character to attach the draft appliances to the frame and transmit the draft and supporting connections of the beam upon the frame and that in another class of frameplows it is common to attach the draft appliances directly to the front end of the plowbeam itself and transmit the draft from the frame of the machine through the plow-beam; but, so far as I am aware, I am the first in the art to organize a machine in which there is What may be termed a combined frame and beam draft when the plow is at work, transmitting the draft directly through the clevis or front end of the frame to the front end of the plow-beam and simply a frame-draft when the plow-beam is elevated above working position. Such combined frame and beam draft or hitch produces all of the advantages of a direct beam-hitch when the plow is at work and all of the advantages of a frame-hitch at all other times.

As hercinbefore stated, my invention relates to means for yieldingly holding the colter-disk B in and returning it to normal position and the same will now be described. This disk is mounted in the rear ends of a bifurcated arm 0, which is pivoted at its front end upon the vertical lower end of the crankshaped shaft A, which extends vertically through and is clamped in fixed position in the front end of the plow-beam L. The front end or hub portion of the arm C, which surrounds the shaft A, is provided with a horizontal slot or recess E, in which fits a disk or plate I), having a hole coincident with the vertical hole in the front end of the arm (1, through which the shaft A passes. A setscrew extending through the plate D from its front end engages the shaft A and holds the plate D in fixed position relatively thereto. Depending from the under side of the front end of the plate D is a stud or bolt F, around which is coiled the middle portion of a spring G, whose reversely-curved opposite ends H H extend rearwardly around the front end of the arm C and bear against the opposite ends of the latter. The coiled portion of the spring G is held in fixed position on the stud or bolt F, so that when the colter B and arm C are swung laterally in either direction the spring cannot turn upon the stud; but the resistance offered by one or the other of its rearwardly-extending arms must be overcome in order to permit such lateral movement of the arm C and the colter B. When the plow is at Work, the draft upon the colter B serves to keep it in substantial alinement with the landside .of the plow, the elasticity of the spring-arms H H permitting the necessary deviation; but when the plow is being raised to elevated position the colter B, and in the absence of the spring-arms H H, would be liable to swing toward one side or the other of the machine as the latter was tilted or inclined in one direction or the other and come in contact with the under side of the frame and damage the colter. The employment of the spring-arms H H normally holds the colter in approximately true position and causes it to rise between the side bars of the frame when the plow is lifted.

Having fully described my invention, I claim 1. In a frame-plow, the combination of the plow-beam and plow, a vertical shaft secured in the front end of the plow-beam, a coltercarrying arm pivotally mounted upon the shaft, a colter therein, and a spring exerting tension on such colter-arm to yieldingly hold the same against lateral movement; substantially as described.

2. In a frame-plow, the combination of the plow-beam and plow, a vertical shaft secured in the front end of the plow-beam, a coltercarrying arm supported by the shaft, a colter therein, and a spring Whose ends bear against opposite sides of the colter-arm to yieldingly hold the same against lateral movement; substantially as described.

3. In a frame-plow, the combination, with the plow-beam and plow, of the vertical shaft A secured in the front end of the plow-beam, the arm C pivoted on the lower end of the shaft A, the collar B carried by the rear end of the arm C, and the spring-arms H H secured to a fixed support upon the shaftA and engaging the opposite sides of the arm C, substantially as described.

4. In a frame-plow, the combination, with the plow-beam and plow, of the vertical shaft A secured in the front end of the plow-beam, the bifurcated arm 0 pivoted upon the lower end of the shaft A, the colter B mounted in said arm, the plate D secured to the shaft A and having the depending stud F, and the spring G coiled around the stud F and having the rearwardly-extending arms H H bearing against the opposite sides of the arm C, substantially as described.

5. In a frame-plow, the combination, with the plow-beam and plow, of the vertical shaft A secured in the front end of the plow-beam, the bifurcated arm 0 pivoted on the lower end of said shaft and having the horizontal slot or recess E around said shaft, the colter B mounted in the arm U, the plate D fitting in the slot E in the arm (3 and secured to the shaftA by a set-screw, the stud or bolt F depending from the plate D in front of the arm C, and the spring G coiled around the stud F and having the rearwardly-extending ends H H enhold the same against lateral movement; sub- I stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES s. RUEF.

Witnesses:

FRED T. HoRsEMAN, FREDERICK O. COLEMAN. 

